Blackburn Rovers 0 Liverpool 0- Wake up and smell the Europa Rafa
06 Dec 2009 - 22:55:54
As the eternally optimistic Rafa Benitez prepares his team for a meaningless Champions League encounter with Fiorentina on Wednesday, he should ask himself how long it will be before Liverpool's Premier League results also become irrelevant to anybody but their own supporters.
Not so long ago, a draw at Blackburn would have meant two points dropped in the title race. Now it is ground lost in the chase for a Champions League place.
Reina terror: Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina halts Nikola Kalinic late on
Much more of this and Liverpool's demotion to the Europa League could become a regular fixture for the next few seasons or, worse still, their customary adventure in Europe.
Typically, Benitez tried to talk up the result. It was another clean sheet, he said. Six games unbeaten.
But he was fooling no-one, least of all his own goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
'I would swap a clean sheet for a victory all day long,' said Reina. 'Apparently we are defending better now than we were, but we have to win because that is what really matters.'
But for Reina's injury-time dash outside his penalty box to put off Blackburn substitute Nikola Kalinic as he raced clear on goal, it could have been worse.
Even Benitez acknowledged that, but only briefly as he searched for the positives from another frustrating afternoon's work that leaves his team in seventh place.
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'At least we are improving and playing a little bit better,' he said. 'A clean sheet is the positive thing against a very physical and direct team like Blackburn.
'We were creating more chances and had better possession. Sometimes it's just a little bit of luck and then you can score.'
He was deluding himself. The only bad luck Liverpool had at Ewood Park came in the 71st minute when substitute David Ngog turned Glen Johnson's cross against the bar.
Blackburn, for whom centre-backs Ryan Nelsen and Chris Samba were simply outstanding, had other chances to score, not least when Reina was again left one-on-one with Franco Di Santo. Victory would not have flattered them.
How many Liverpool fans honestly left Ewood feeling encouraged by what they had seen? When was the last time their team were relegated to the graveyard slot on Match of the Day?
Samba, for one, was not impressed.
'It's easier defending against Liverpool this season than in previous ones,' said the big defender.
'They didn't impress me as much as Chelsea and Manchester United especially. I don't think they are as good as them now.
'In a way it's a good point but we're a bit disappointed not to get all three because we should have won.'
At least Benitez - who also revealed that Liverpool are in talks to extend Javier Mascherano's contract - can look forward to Fernando Torres returning from a five-match absence to play some part against Fiorentina, although the game itself has little significance following his side's failure to qualify for the knockout stages.
Alberto Aquilani, the £20million midfielder who has yet to start a game, could also make his Champions League debut. It would come too late to make a difference. The Italian was on the bench on Saturday but Benitez held him back.
'This was a difficult, physical place to come, and not the right time to throw him on,' said the Liverpool boss.
That will be music to the ears of Sam Allardyce, Benitez's old nemesis, who looked down from his seat in the stands as he eased himself back into the fold after heart surgery.
Allardyce and Benitez have had their differences in the past, but the Blackburn manager would understand his rival's safety-first policy with Aquilani after adopting asimilar approach with £6m summer signing Kalinic.
'I get sick to death of people asking me: 'When's Kalinic going to play?'' said Allardyce.
'You need confidence to play in the Premier League or you will get destroyed.
'It is not about working today or tomorrow, it is about working over the four years of his contract.'
BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Robinson 6; Chimbonda 7, Samba 8, Nelsen 9, Givet 7; Diouf 6 (Hoilett 72min, 7), Grella 7, Nzonzi 7, Emerton 7; McCarthy 6 (Kalinic 77, 6), Di Santo 6 (Andrews 85). Booked: Diouf.LIVERPOOL (4-5-2): Reina 7; Johnson 7, Agger 6, Carragher 6, Insua 6; Benayoun 5 (El Zhar 72, 7), Mascherano 6, Lucas 6, Riera 4 (Ngog 52, 6), Gerrard 8; Kuyt 6.Referee: Martin Atkinson.Man of the match: Ryan Nelsen.
Welcome back, SamBig Sam Allardyce made his big comeback at Ewood Park following atwo-week break for minor heart surgery, sitting in the stands next toBlackburn chairman John Williams while assistant Neil McDonald relayedhis instructions from the touchline.
'The way the team is playing, I can stay up there,' said Allardyce (right).'Once you get settled in and your team gets better, the more you cansee by staying up there and the calmer you can be to make a criticaldecision late into the game.
'I will mix it about. I've got a couple or three more weeks sitting upthere until I see the specialist and he will probably give me theall-clear so I can make the decision on a game-to-game basis.'
Having seen off Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out in the midweek CarlingCup quarter-final, he added: 'I'm really pleased about the performance,about their energy levels. Having gone through a game on Wednesday withextra time, that was superb.
'Everything's looking better and better. We just want to continue it into the really heavy months of December and January.'
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